The Rangers go to work setting up the perimeter as Vere ordered, disappearing into the verge in pairs and triples without discussion. To Lily's eyes, while they are not the epitome of tight military order, these Rangers do work together in a way that Benedict would approve of. Of course, he could tighten them up as a unit far beyond the camaraderie and professionalism that they currently have. But they will be an effective force if an enemy come through.
Merlin answers at once. "Hello, cousin Vere," he says pleasantly. He looks like he might be busy with paints and things "I know I am late but--what is wrong?"
"We have a serious situation," Vere says. "Prince Martin has asked that you join me. I can explain once you are here."
"Bide a moment and I will come to you," Merlin says. The moment is spent fetching things, including his blade and his boots, which he clearly thinks he's going to need. "Is there anything specific you would have me bring?"
"We might be going on a war footing," Vere says. "Sorcery and/or Pattern might be involved." He smiles faintly. "So pack accordingly."
Through the connection, it's obvious that Merlin is not pleased by this news. He gathers up some things--a change of clothing more appropriate to the night outdoors than the indoor garments he was wearing, and his weapons, among others--and says, "Bring me through." He reaches for Vere's hand so that he can come to Vere.
Vere pulls Merlin through the connection. 'Well met, Cousin," he says. He nods to Lily. "You know Cousin Lily, I believe?"
"Indeed I do," Merlin says. "Well met by moonlight, cousin. I will take a moment to garb myself, and you both can explain to me about the war footing we are now on."
"The short explanation," Vere says, "Is that the King appears to be under an enchantment, believed to be the work of the Queen of Air and Darkness, rendering him unable to effectively reign. His queen is believed to be compromised by the same being. Her thrall may well date back to the death of Cambina, now also believed to be the fault of the Queen of Air and Darkness. Fiona is working on this enchantment. Martin wants a meeting between the cousins at the Grove of the Unicorn. Lily and I are to guard the steps to Tir against possible Moonrider activity, and use trump contact to join the meeting, without leaving here. Martin also orders that no one of our generation be alone from now on, hence our summoning you. Martin may wish you to go through the connections to the Grove when the meeting begins, I do no know." He smiles tightly. "A great deal to absorb, I know. No action is called upon from you, save to help us guard this place, until you have a chance to speak to Martin, so you do not need to decide whether to trust our information as of yet."
"I see," Merlin says as he pushes his besocked feet into his boots. There is a long moment in which he ponders everything that Vere has said, though Merlin is his father's son and difficult to read even on a good day. Merlin finally rights himself and looks at Vere and Lilly. "Do we expect the invasion of the Moonriders from below, to get into the city, or from the city itself?"
"Their capabilities are unknown, and the situation is unclear," Vere answers. "As I understand it, the main concern is that they might seek to seize the stairs and then somehow alter the timestream so that they either already have used them to descend or else descend from the next full moon. That implies to me that the expectation is that they would seize them from the ground, as they cannot have already approached from above until after they have seized them."
"I do not see how this prevents longer temporal paradoxes," Merlin says. "You could ask my father about--"
Merlin's comment is cut off by a cry from the woods. A definitive human cry, of horror more than pain.
Vere's eyes flick in that direction, then he carefully looks all around, taking in the entire area. "Rangers!" he snaps out. "See to that, carefully, keeping in mind it might be intended as a distraction or a lure to an ambush. Everyone, defensive positions and full alert."
Merlin draws his sword.
The rangers establish a perimeter and it is a tense five minutes before a runner comes back from just inside the woods. "We found the corpse of a Ranger, my Lords. He looks to have been dead several weeks. It's Ranger Gamut. Gamut was the one who found the corpse. He's... upset."
Merlin says something incomprehensible and chaotic. He adds, for the benefit of the rest of those present, "Time magic is cruel."
"Indeed," Vere replies. He pulls his trump of Martin. "We should take this as a sign that there will be an attack. Prepare, as best we can. I will inform the prince."
"Hold the Pattern as best you can to protect the Rangers," Merlin tells Lilly. "I hope your father prepared you for this." He adds, to Vere, "Tell Martin we need reinforcements. Three is not enough, not of us."
Vere trusts Merlin and Lilly to keep him from being killed while distracted, and turns his attention to the card. "Martin," he says. "It is Vere."
As always, Martin takes what seems like an unusually long time to respond, like it's a conscious and not particularly welcome choice to release whatever instinctive block he has against Trump calls. "Fletcher and I are here, Vere. What's up?" By reflex, perhaps, Martin has reached for a weapon.
Vere suspects he's speaking aloud for Fletcher's benefit.
"We have reached the stairs," Vere replies. "One of the Rangers has stumbled across his own corpse, several weeks dead. No other signs of enemy yet, but that is certainly suggestive. Merlin is here, and he urges the need for reinforcements. I concur with his assessment."
"Fletcher's all I've got with me yet but the rest are coming. Folly's supposed to have been here ahead of me. We can try her and pass through, or you can call her directly if we need to go that way. Who else do you have? Is Merle with you? See who he has and might call on." Martin sounds distinctly unhappy about this turn of events. It's not every day the city gets invaded by Moonriders.
"I do not have a card for Folly, or for any of our cousins," Vere replies. He glances at Merlin. "Merlin, Martin asks whose cards you have?"
"I can call for Folly or several other of our cousins. Paige or Ossian. I will try Folly first," Merlin says and draws a Trump from his deck to do so.
Meanwhile, Martin is saying, "Wait, people have started arriving here. Mounted. Can you take them?"
"Indeed," Vere answers Martin. He makes certain there is enough room around him for several riders.
Folly can feel the stirrings of a Trump contact as she and the others head up the mountain.
"Folly, it is Merlin. The Moonriders will be attacking here soon. We need family assistance; is there anyone who can join us? Particularly warriors like Jerod or Brennan or Edan?"
Folly nods, seems to gaze through Merlin to a spot well ahead of her, and lets out a sharp whistle clearly meant to get attention.
Ossian notes the ongoing Trump call and gestures to everyone to get closer to Folly. "If there is an emergency..."
Conner comes over to see what is going on.
Raven will likewise move closer, but she's more keeping an eye on the surroundings than on the conversation. Nothing like the word 'emergency' to make one want to make sure the ugly situation is only over there and not here, too...
Brita slows as she realizes the others are converging on Folly.
Noting Raven's caution, Garrett takes up a position on the opposite flank of the party, also watching the surroundings, but keeping an ear out for trouble from the trump call.
"Call from Merlin," Folly says. "He's calling for warriors. Moonriders." She holds out a hand for any of her cousins who want to join the call and returns her focus to Merlin. "Where are you?"
Delivering a zombie head, vs Moonriders? Jerod is first in line for the latter as he grasps Folly's hand.
Signy takes a couple of steps towards Jerod, considering how much she could help. Almost unconsciously her hand drifts down towards her belt, and comes to rest on the hilt of a knife.
While the others gather, Jerod takes Folly's hand and Merlin pulls him through.
Trusting Merlin to maintain the contact from his end, Folly scans ahead a bit. "Where's Regenlief?" she asks. "This seems like her bag."
Seeing her nearby assembled cousins, she adds, "Anyone else?" And then for Garrett's benefit, in case there was any doubt: "Our package should NOT go through." She shudders visibly thinking of what kind of mess time magic could make if applied to that particular problem.
Conner reaches out for Folly's hand to be passed through.
Raven will go as well.
Brita nods at Folly's dictate. She hefts the box a little higher and notes, "I will Continue with This to The Grove and Leave it There? I Can Call My Brother After to Rejoin You." The question in the first sentence is there for all. Brita is not sure if leaving the box unattended is wise. She will definitely try to hide it somehow when she gets there.
Garrett chews his lip in thought, but there really is no hesitation in his decision. His strength is defense. "I think I'm needed here," he says to Folly.
Ossian turns to Regenlief. "I think this means change of plans. We really need to win this fight, I think." He motions for her to go to Folly.
"I'll go with Brita. " He adds.
"Good luck, and I'll meet you on another rainbow path, I hope," Regenlief says.
Folly, who doesn't expect to be so good in this fight, says to Brita, "I'll take the package if you and Ossian want to go through now."
"Let me take it," Garrett offers, reaching past Folly to Brita. "I'll stick with Folly until we get to the Grove and meet up with Martin."
Ossian nods. Takes a deep breath. "Heh. I've always wanted to see the Moonriders."
He lets Folly pull him through.
Brita looks searchingly at Folly for a beat and then hands the box to Garrett. "Be Safe," she says to both of them before accepting Folly's hand to pass through the Trump.
"Be safe, Folly. I will call if there is need." Folly can intuit that Merlin means that he'll Trump if he and the cousins need to run for it. "Is there anything else, before we part?"
Folly shakes her head. "I'll be ready for your call, should you need it. Be safe."
Once the call is ended, she looks at Garrett. "I'd meant to call Martin next, but now I may be their escape plan" -- she gestures vaguely in the direction of the distant stairs -- "so I need to keep the line open, as it were. Would you do the honors?" She pulls her trump case from her pocket. "If they're still in town and need a ride up, we can pull them up. Or, if they've beaten us to the Grove, they can take us there the quick way." She thumbs out a card and offers it face-down to Garrett.
Garrett nods silently, looking grim, and sets the zombie box on the ground. He takes the card, turns it upright and focuses.
Brennan is nodding vigorously at something Robin has just said as they come riding into the Grove proper. Brennan's never been there before, nor to its counterpart in Amber, so he takes his cues from Robin, from Martin and Fletcher, and from what his memories of what others may have told him as far as observances and etiquette are concerned. Seeing that Martin is on a Trump call, he approaches them making himself conspicuously visible, but keeping generally quiet-- no surprises, but no distractions, either.
Lark is with her father, who seems to be a bit distracted. She runs over to greet him, with Fletcher following right behind. "Hello Cousin Brennan! Are you here for the council or for the fight?"
Meanwhile, Martin is saying to nobody in particular in that way that suggests he's in a Trump contact, "Wait, people have started arriving here. Mounted. Can you take them?"
Brennan looked about to dismount, until he hears Lark's question.
"Hello, Lorelei. I'd hoped we had time for council before we had to fight. Where is the fight?" He sounds like he's already made a good guess, and doesn't bother to ask who it's with. Glancing at Fletcher, he asks, "Do you have a Trump of Benedict?"
Fletcher greets them both and begins to shuffle through his deck to find Benedict.
Robin is familiar with the Grove (both of them actually) and she rides in confidently. Though she notes Martin, Fletcher and Lark, her eyes are first looking for any signs of those pesky firelillies. Assuming that she finds none, she grins at the small girl running toward Brennan. Oh, yeah - there's Family trouble on the hoof. Gotta love the lively ones.
There are no firelillies in this Grove, nor has Robin seen any in the immediate vicinity as she approached.
At the word 'fight' her ears prick up and Robin calls the firelizards to herself. But overall, the Ranger feels that there are enough people talking right now. So she doesn't add to the chatter, merely extends respectful nods to Martin and Fletcher.
"All right, I'll see who's coming." Martin says to Brennan and Robin, "We're pretty sure it's Moonriders. One of the Rangers saw his own corpse."
He offers a hand to them to send them through to Vere.
"Right." Robin throws a leg over Misae's back and quickly dismounts. Handing the reins to Fletcher, she says "Her name is Misae. She's Hannah's -- who is coming shortly. She's not war-trained and the last time I did that, I got thrown on my ass.
"Besides, I'm better on my own two feet anyway." she mutters as she takes Martin's hand.
A moment later, Robin's blue eyes light up with delight as she realizes Vere is on the other end of the Trump. Despite that the girl is getting combat-ready, the floomph! of joy/love fills the connection before Robin can damp it down. Stoopid Cards!
While Robin is going through the Trump, Brennan looks conflicted almost to the point of pain. He says to both Martin and Fletcher: "So much for getting in front of it all. We have to assume Avalon's end is being hit, too, and that Benedict doesn't know yet. Call him, is my advice." Right now, is also his advice, he just doesn't say it out loud. "This is important: From Castle Avalon, as the crow flies, where is the Avalon Stair?"
Martin just answers with an unhappy obsecenity.
Brennan waits to hear an answer to the crow-fly question, if they give one; but either way he follows Robin through.
"All right, I'll see who's coming." To someone standing near him, Martin says, "We're pretty sure it's Moonriders. One of the Rangers saw his own corpse."
Vere pulls Robin through and gives her a quick wordless kiss before returning his attention to the trump.
This kiss is returned sincerely for all its brevity.
Behind Vere, Merlin brings through Jerod.
Right behind Jerod, Conner appears through the rainbow light of Merlin's Trump. He nods to Merlin in thanks and steps forward to make room for others.
Folly passes Jerod, Conner, Raven, and Regenlief through to Merlin and he brings them through.
Vere pulls Brennan through, then waits to see if anyone else is going to follow, or to hear what words of instruction, advice, or farewell Martin may have for them.
"I'll call Benedict and Corwin and tell them to set up defense in town. And anywhere else it's needed. And if someone brings the package, burn it!" Martin says.
Vere nods an affirmative, and closes the connection as soon as he is sure everyone has come through.
Until Vere closes the contact, an uncharacteristic mix of dread and frustration leaks through from Brennan, when Martin can't (or doesn't) answer the Avalon question.
As Brennan is coming through behind her, Robin turns to Lilly. "So who is boots on the ground? Errr, in charge?" Robin adjusts her thinking, given that she was just talking about military vs other mentalities.
Vere regards his cousins silently, waiting for them to sort things out and start asking questions.
Brennan turns to Vere and Lilly and asks, "What do we know and what do you need?"
"Not enough and too much," Vere answers. "We got here and found nothing out of the way at first, but while securing the site one of the Rangers stumbled across his own corpse, apparently dead a matter of weeks. That certainly makes a Moonrider attack likely." He shakes his head. "So what we really need is someone with experience dealing with the Moonriders, or at the least dealing with temporal magics, to take charge and tell the ignorant among us what to do."
"Then it is Edan we need." Conner replies. "He has fought against the Moonriders and has knowledge of the dimension of Time. Putting myself forward as understudy for the role, I am trained in Time magic and I have talked to Edan about individual tactics against Moonriders," Conner is wearing the same outfit as he went to Edan's affair in. Halosydne is his only visible weapon.
"Likewise, all counts." Brennan says. "They were at Oberon's funeral, too. Bleys and I encountered a party of riders as we were moving back to Amber. I've seen them on the move, met them, and spoken with their High Marshall. Reminds me of Benedict, actually. We didn't fight them, but they were ready for it-- I caught them using invisibility sorcery to try capture the element of surprise."
Brennan is wearing the same armor he wore to Edan's celebration. It's not ceremonial-- cuirass and leggings. He has his customary two swords with him.
Robin is stringing a long bow, quiver at her back, long sword at her side, with plenty of bulges about her person that say 'knife' to the experienced viewer. No armor though, just pretty festival clothes.
"I've got no experience with time manipulators, but I've fought out-of-phase opponents before and not limited to linear time preconceptions." She shrugs, she has no idea how to say that better to the sorcery types.
"I can hit things," Raven says dryly. "Not a clue on the rest." The captain has added a cutlass and a dirk to what she was wearing earlier - which is the kind of nice that's very well-made, but only reluctantly and quietly crosses the line into fancy and decorative.
Brita nods in agreement, "I have No Knowledge of the Moon Riders, although Uncle Loki often Tried Tricks of Time." Brita is still in her embroidered skirt (a skirt!) from the festivities. She has an Axe tucked into the sash on one side.
Jerod leans on his spear, his otherwise very fashionable court coat and pants rather unarmored. "No time manipulation on my side, but we did have to go through a patch of Black Road."
Ossian comes through, carrying a rapier and a long dagger. He has only very light armour, but considering his fighting style, that might be a good choice. "Greetings, cousins," he says. "I guess I will keep a low profile. Lilly has my Trump if that is of any help."
"Oookay," Robin says, taking it all in. "Then this would be my suggestion." She puts a lot of emphasis on the word suggestion.
"Firstly, extreme buddy system in place. No one bounces off alone.
"Tactically, three teams: Base - Brennan, Lily & Vere (until Edan gets here, then he'd be on that team and taking over from Brennan as coordinator). Strike - Conner, Jerod, Merlin &... viking lady I don't know. Scout - Me, Brita, Ossian & Raven."
She shrugs. "Works?"
"The lady of Asgard is named Regenleif." Conner supplies. "Each team should have one versed in Time sorcery. Remind me Sister, have you trained in that principle?" Conner asks Brita.
"The Valkyrie Regenleif is Ossian's mother, a friend and a damn good ally," Brennan says. When Robin proposes her order of battle, Brennan also nods or glances at each person in turn so Regenlief can put names to faces.
He continues, "I'm not sure if their time powers are properly Sorcery or not, but they have Sorcerers regardless. They can move people in time, and they seem to exist in a state that's spread out over time, or have multiple points of personal 'now' that they can access. (And by the way," he says, digressing with almost audible parentheses, "if you get thrown, consider making it back to the meeting at the Grove, with Martin.) I'm still working through everything I could do with that, but imagine being able to shoot an arrow, then tell your earlier self how to correct for windage and do it again for the first time. Or if you're trying to reach a staircase against opposition, tell your earlier self whether to duck left or right.
"So let me offer an alternate possibility," Brennan says. "Pattern. It's good against their Sorcerers. It's good against being sent back in time, and those of us strong in it, or bearing Rebma's blade, or both, might be able to protect a small area letting the Rangers fight with us." Conner was obviously referenced there, but he eyes Jerod and Robin also. "It ought to blunt their ability to pick the consequence before the action. And we have a lot more Pattern wielders than Sorcerers."
Vere listens intently, but he knows practically nothing of the Principal of Time, so he has nothing to offer to the conversation at this point.
Ossian looks at his father. "Do you mean using Pattern to inhibit time manipulation then? We'll necessarily have to keep the area small, not to interfere with each other too much."
Brita notes, "I Know Some Principles of Time But have Little Experience. Establishing the Order of Pattern should be Effective Against Disordering the Flow of Time. I Can be Scout or Fore Guard as Best Needed." She looks to Robin and Brennan for further discussion.
"I don't know these Moonriders at all," Regenlief says, "and I know no Sorcery. I will go where you bid me, and I will do all that I can against the foe. Where do we think they're coming from?" She is heavily armed, with a full shield, a sword, and a spear that would probably do a number on a mounted opponent.
"I'm going to let Vere or Lilly answer that, since they've been guarding the place," Brennan says.
"But to answer Ossian," Brennan continues, "Yes, I mean exactly that. I wouldn't make this a Sorcery on Sorcery fight-- it plays to their strength on a field only two of us can really engage. Order on Sorcery is something all of us except Regenleif can do. It blunts or removes the strength they rely on, playing to our own. This close to Xanadu, it is the stronger tool. It is a defensive power at a time we are making a defense along the Faiella-Bionin. It makes Halosydne even more of a blessing. Yes, you're absolutely right Order will inhibit our own Sorcerers, but that's going to happen every time someone resists an attempt to move them in time. You could argue for Team Sorcery in the field and team Pattern here at the Stairs, but I wouldn't. I'd reserve Sorcery for the most limited and passive effects, like sensing and detection.
"And if their power gives them the advantage I think it does, the way to stop them is to cause all possible paths to go through us, with no possibility of going around. On the assumption that they're going to try to take or go up the stair, I will stay, as Robin says, at the base-- the stairs. It's the chokepoint. If I don't move, they have to try to deal with me and anyone with me. Unless they refuse battle-- and we have evidence they don't-- I see no better plan." He looks to Vere and Robin, and asks, "Do we have Rangers with us? How many? By the way, someone with cards, please shuffle out a Benedict. Martin is trying to reach him already, but my assumption is that they're hitting Avalon, too, and if we can't reach Benedict we're going to have to figure out how to get from here to there quickly.
"Oh, and we're gonna need more of those," he points at Regenlief's spear. He glances around in what, to the rest of the Family, is a tell for conjury-- he's aiming for at least one but preferably several anti-cavalry spears, sturdy, durable, with a wrong end and a right end to be on, and crossbars to keep someone from crossing the space in between uninvited. "Enough for us and any Rangers that stand with us."
It's difficult to conjure here, as it's very close to the Pattern, except that it's easier than Brennan expects to do it -- something is happening here that makes it possible for him to do it at all -- and he ends up with three or four.
"We have Rangers and mounts," Vere responds. "As I understand, the Moonriders prefer cavalry tactics." He will detail their numbers and any quick observations he has made about them on the trip up.
Ossian pulls his Trump deck, and flips up Benedict's Trump. "I'll call Benedict." He says and starts to open a Trump contact. If possible Benedict should feel the urgency of Ossian's call.
Benedict takes a moment to answer. "Who calls? If it is not urgent, leave me be. We're under attack in Avalon." Ossian can see he's on the field, mounted, not on Stripey, with a shield on his maimed arm and with a cavalry blade in his other hand. The field is dark and some of the warriors around him are glowing with an eerie luminescence.
The moon is high in the Avalonian sky.
I won't apologize, Ossian thinks. He wouldn't appreciate it anyway.
"It's Ossian. Me and a number of my cousins, including Lilly, are at the bottom of the stairs to Tir. The Moonriders are coming."
"They're also attacking here." Benedict says, and he's fighting while maintaining his end of the contact. "Coming down the stair to Tir. Use the Pattern against them, protect your men, and be prepared for pitched battle. Their steeds don't fly. Here they're led by a young woman; the Marshall must be leading the attack on Xanadu. Beware."
"Thanks for the advice, uncle. Take care on your side then." Unless Benedict seems to have more to say Ossian ends the conversation.
Benedict is a little busy so he lets the conversation go.
Robin thinks about it. "I might be able to whip up some of those spears, but not quickly and not right here."
"If we're looking at cavalry tactics," Raven offers, "probably wouldn't hurt to throw out something that looks like caltrops, even if they aren't the real thing. Might keep them coming at us from fewer directions."
Conner nods as though Robin confirmed something. "Sorcery is hard near a Pattern and manipulating the Pattern doubly so. Robin, I suspect you've got the most experience with people trying to manipulate Pattern near a Pattern. Any suggestions on how to use it as a defense? I tried it when Artemis brought the Green to Heather Vale and failed to make an impact."
Merlin speaks up. "I am not so versed as to use Pattern as a defense, but I know that my father and his brothers and sisters have used Trump in concert. Perhaps you could reinforce the Pattern in the same way. Also it seems to me that if they come--and they will, soon, the Moon is almost here--then the key will be bottling them up." He gestures toward the stairsteps. "They cannot come down too many abreast and thus Pattern and spear-lengths and multiple tiers so they cannot jump over our heads will be the best defense.
"I should have listened more when Father talked about Jones Falls."
Jerod looks up at the Moon and pauses.
"So...if they're coming down the stairs...how do we get rid of the stairs?" he asks.
Vere blinks. "As a temporary measure, or permanently?" he asks.
Brennan, frowning and inspecting one of the spears he conjured, was going to say something to Conner and Robin but that stops him short. "You know a way? I know of none except to destroy Tir, and that's not on the table. This is a natural feature of the Faiella-Bionin-- only recent events even managed so much as to move it.
"Merlin's right," Brennan continues, "about time being short especially and about spear-ranks." He shrugs at Raven-- probably not enough time for caltrops. "I'd augment with a smaller mobile squad to chase down break-outs. Or if they're going up not coming down, to generally harass." The way he plants himself near the stair says that he's not for that team. "Insights on Time are probably good for that team, maybe light Sorcery, but I'm still for Order as the general defense. As the King would say, keep insisting that the universe enforce its rules, and help where able."
Brennan keeps a spear for himself and hands out the others to those that want them. "For what it's worth, these were easier than they should have been. I don't suppose anyone has a Trump of Marius, get him to pass the Knights through for more boots on the ground?"
Raven will take a spear. "Sounds like running around might be exciting," she says, with a nod to Robin, "but I ain't exactly new at repelling all comers." She plants herself and the butt of her weapon a few steps from Brennan, near the stairs.
Brita is staring at the night sky. "Can We Draw Clouds to Cover the Moon. That would Prevent the Stairs Entirely, Correct? Or I Could Try to Control the Clouds for Opportune Moments."
Robin has been nodding to herself as folks talk and wandered around to the back of the stairsteps. "Hah!" comes the sound of her exclamation as she squats down to brush away loose scrub and soil. Flipping back a dirt colored flap of canvas, the glimmer of metal is revealed. Robin stands up from a cache of Rebman-styled spears obviously sequestered away and forgotten during a hurried exodus.
She stands up brushing dirt off of her hands. "Turns out close and quick was better than slow and far away." She shrugs.
Then she replays the various comments that occurred while she was conjuring.
"Using Pattern as a defense? Channeling the opponent's approaches, definitely. I also use it sometimes to boost my... luck?" Robin's reaching for concepts that she usually doesn't work into words. "Or to increase my opponent's misfortune. Mutual support?" Robin shakes her head. "That takes a lot of practice not to cross other wielders'... uh, intent. General firming up should be okay, though.
"Oh, and against phasic folk? I use the terrain and attack the senses - slower but sometimes the only blows I can land."
Robin looks over to Brennan and Raven. "I'm better in motion than I am holding the ground. If you want to supplement up the Time and Sorcery elements in the Mobile team, call 'em." She finishes with a smile.
Brennan grins when Robin comes up with her own cache of spears. "Mutual Support of No Funny Business is about as trick as I think we'd want to get. Keeps everyone on the same page and gets what we want done.
"Moon's not supposed to be full tonight, though," he says to Brita. Then he frowns and turns to Vere then Merlin, "Weren't we just saying the Moon isn't full tonight? Why are you thinking they're coming down?"
Merlin frowns and starts to say something, and then reconsiders. "I do not know, cousin. But nonetheless I believe it to be true."
Brennan looks over at Merlin and nods. "I'll understand later. If you have a card for Marius, by the way, this would be a fantastic time to use it and ask him to bring over as many of the Ruby as he can. They're already in units ready to move... But I figured they'd be moving after the meeting, not before..
"We discovered the corpse of one of our Rangers," Vere explains. "A man named Gamut. He stumbled across his own body, apparently several weeks dead." Vere will take one of the spears and guard the stairs, bringing the Pattern to mind and concentrating firmly on it.
Ossian has been tucking away his Trump. "Benedict is fighting Moonriders in Avalon. They are coming down the stairs there. So no help from him. But he thinks their Marshal is coming here. I take it that's a bad sign?" He asks rhetorically.
Conner plants himself next to Brennan to defend at the foot of the stairs. Conner will bring the Pattern to mind and attempt to bolster reality around them using Halosydne as an amplifier if possible.
Brennan looks confused by Ossian's new information, and not a little apprehensive, but shakes his head and says, "I'll understand it later. And yeah, think of him as their Benedict and a Sorcerer from what Bleys says." He glances at Regenlief, assuming she's with the group at the stairs, but gesturing for her to join them if she's not.
Hannah attempts to concentrate on Gerard while bumping along on a horse.
While using the cards is still not Hannah's native method of magic, she is a child of Amber. Even bumping along on a horse, she can get hold of Gerard.
"Hannah? Is that you? Where are you?" Gerard is confused.
[And assuming she and Edan are skin to skin, he's in this contact too!]
In the grove ahead, Edan can see the rainbow flash of someone going through a Trump. Martin and Fletcher and Lark are all still in the Grove though.
"We are headed to the Grove but it looks like trouble is brewing somewhere... so I called you for a field kit, and I was wondering if Corvis would be willing to oversee the watch on the baby." She sighs. "You have questions and I'll answer what I can. We're concerned about an imminent attack from the... Moonriders, and that our Queen is possessed by theirs, and the... tíuzhí... uh, cousin clan group, we're going to meet to exchange notes before the morning meeting, but there seems to be trump movement ahead instead of chat so I need to be prepared."
"Corvis isn't back yet; I thought she was with you." Gerard's agitation leaks through the contact. "I'll see what I can find but there's not much here in the way of field kit. I can get hospital supplies ready if you need them, but it'll alert the household, if that's what you're worried about."
Seeing Trump activity ahead, Edan steers Aramsham towards it. Otherwise, he keeps quiet.
The contact has clearly been closed by the time Edan gets there.
"Edan? You just missed the call. Moonriders are coming down the steps at moonrise, looks like,. Martin says.
Lark runs up to Aramsham without fear. "I didn't know a baby was coming!"
"Gerard, it looks like the Moonriders may be coming down the steps at moonrise. Corvis was with me, but she felt we had to keep my son away from Vialle until we were sure she wasn't possessed. We took the service stairs down and I left her with Solange when we called Edan. So, I would say alerting the household is likely the least of our worries. Do you have a trump of Solange?"
"I do, and I'll contact her. Who else do you need to talk to?" Gerard asks. "Is Corwin there, or Benedict? Do you know?"
"Moon-" Edan clenches his hand around the reins, then utters a sharp word to Aramsham to stay still with Lark underfoot. "I mustered the Lamp before I left to leave town for maneuvers in the morning. Get them away from the palace. They'll be going the wrong direction. I did not foresee this," he says to Martin. "You're in luck though, Hannah is talking to Gerard right now. We just talked about setting this spot up as a forward relief.... his voice trails off. "Wait, who is up there? How many of our Elders?"
"I think Brennan may be the seniormost up there and--ah sh!t--" Martin holds a hand up to Edan as his brow furrows and then he consciously straightens out to accept what is clearly a Trump call after reflexively trying to throw it off. "Who's there?"
Hannah says, "Uh, um, huh... I suspect not." She pauses. "I think I just heard Brennan is the oldest there. Like I said, we were meeting to share cousin knowledge so we could see what could condense. Give me one second Uncle. It's all happening fast." She looks up at Edan and over at Martin and decides she's getting down. "Give me an arm, Edan," she says.
Edan nods to Martin, hoping that he would understand they're both in separate Trump conversations. He looks...not happy. He doesn't bother to try and hide the tinge of despair that's creeping in on the edges of the Trump call. "I don't think Brennan's fought them," he says, in and out of the contact. "I have, several times. The original plan isn't going to work." He helps Hannah down, then gingerly starts to unwind himself from the carrier, baby supported on one hand and arm. "Would you lend me one of your knives for an athame? I always ruin my swords when I use them." I'm avoiding the subject is what he doesn't say.
Hannah lets go of him to bend down, pull an eight inch bone knife out of her boot, and hand it to Edan. "The sheath is built into the boot, and I haven't another." She moves to put her arm under his and take the baby. Gerard can likely feel her need to act. "Uncle, call everyone you think is fit to fight, and send me all the supplies and medics you can. Shall I call you back?" She is rubbing the thumb of her free hand inside her medicine bag, and it comes out blackened. The knife is made for her hands, so it's going to be a bit small for Edan's. Although the sides are sharp, this is a thrusting blade.
"Aye," says Gerard, "And I'll find Solange and get hold of Ben and Corwin. And Jules."
"Thank you Gerard," she says, and lets gratitude, appreciation, relief, fraternity, hope, and filial respect follow her determined smile. She hasn't really a free hand so she closes her eyes and makes the mental effort to close the contact. Then she looks up at Edan. "You will go fight; you don't have to say it. Save your bravery for the battle. We will be wherever I am most needed doing what I do. Let me paint you." She lifts her black thumb.
Edan smiles, just a little, and nods his agreement. It almost offsets his grim expression. "This is new." He stays on Aramsham, but leans over so that Hannah can easily reach him. "Tell me what you are painting."
He also thinks, Kyauta. I go to where Lords of Order gather. Their power, all together, it could harm or even destroy you without them knowing it. I have a better plan than this.
Go as fast as you can to the compound. Some of the Knights are already mustering for the morning. Raise the alarm. Get them horsed. Armor and swords. Gather at the entrance. If I get a chance to Part the Veil, charge at the opening. I'll have you pointed the right way.
Meanwhile Martin is talking to whoever's at the other end of his Trump call. "We're at the Grove. Edan's here. Come through," Martin says and steps back so there's room for horses if someone else is riding.
Hannah glances over at the new arrivals for just a second. "If you had a tribe and a clan and... quests met and societies joined... You do of course, I will find it all. Can you conjure here? I could use fat and... or water. Come to the spring with me, two minutes. Brennan or someone would trump you if they needed you now."
Edan looks back at the others, up at the sky, does a little mental math, and nods. "Okay. Merlin should be able to. Or me him." He slides off his horse. "The moon is coming, unless someone can affect the clouds."
"Bring the Prince of Horses, he can be painted too." She leads the way, following the curve of the ground toward the spring. The baby is swaddled unceremoniously, with the economy of movement owed to long practice. Some of the black powder smudges the sheets, and she leaves his arms free this time.
"So, the people have a tradition of using color, symbols, and patterns to center their intent before battle, and when applied by the medicine man can bestow a sense of confidence and purpose, sometimes power. You don't need those, so you get the other intent - scare the enemy. When you call your fire, where does it come from? The mind, the heart, the gut?"
Edan starts to answer, then decides the answer isn't that simple. "I have grown," he says. "Things have changed. Like the afriti, I am the fire. My heart channels it. My mind gives it shape and direction and purpose."
"Very Well. I think I see it. How many people have you killed in hand to hand combat?"
She isn't reslinging the baby yet, and as they come to the spring, she settles him just where she thinks Arasham is unlikely to step on him. She takes off her jacket and folds it into a basin. She motions for him to come down off the horse. She kneels to saya quiet prayer and touches the water, then her lips, then her forehead. She waits a moment, listening, watching the water reflect the sky.
"You know Lilly and I were just in a battle," Edan says. "Throughout my life...by hand, not sorcery...perhaps a hundred. Less than two."
She stands and nods at that. "That will make this easier. When I am done, you will look like a man who kills. Hopefully our cousins will see through it. My other cousins will know you for a warrior who has already proven himself. This may be intense, but I know you will respect the ritual of it."
Edan nods in return. "If Moonriders are coming down the Stair, we need all the advantage we can get. If I summon my Knights, well, the older ones have seen worse. I trust you. Do this thing."
She gently scoops water into the jacket, mixes just a few pinches of powder from a roll of cloth she's pulled out of her pouch. She mixes it with her hands until they're stained and then stands up. "To show them you are a warrior who will not surrender." She lays her wet hands on his collarbones and pushes color under his chin, the across his shoulders before she gets more. She is focused, silently moving in rhythm with Edan's breath. "Edan doesn't dance with fire, but is the fire as it dances. Beautiful freedom in destruction." Hannah moves about him, layering his torso in yellow, until she twists streaks in his hair with the final bits of pollen.
She rolls open the cloth and dips her fingers in red powder. "Red, for the power the Merciful One has given you responsibility for." She moves around him pulling ribbons of red up his abdomen, rib cage, flaring at his shoulders and swirling up his spine. Having depleted the powder, she carefully pulls more water over and adds a enough red powder that it almost goes black. "To show them you do not fear to wear the blood of your enemies." She slaps her dripping left hand into his chest, near his right shoulder, and waits a moment for the color to run down.
Her red right hand she runs over his forehead and up into his hair. She brings them down to grasp his wrists in a tight grip. "What are you fighting for, Fire Dances?"
"Home. Family," Edan says, quick enough that he must have anticipated the question. "You. Him," and he looks down at the baby. "I have made Xanadu my home. Hubs 'ajaeal mawaqifi. Here I make my stand!"
Hannah nods at him with a deep breath. "Pahóga gínazhi, banó. We stand in anticipation; we stand together as a family."
She returns to the water but only cups a little in her left hand. Her right fingertips dip into black powder, and she traces a shape resembling an anatomically correct heart on the skin above his. "To show them you bring all the strength of those you lead against them." Hannah wets her fingers and quickly fills out the symbol until it is a lamp's silhouette. She lets the smoke drift from her fingers from lamp to chin, and over, until his lips are stained black and his nose hides in the night. She spreads black powder over both her hands and rubs them together, then puts them on either side of his face, thumbs extended out to meet the black of his mouth. "Black is the Strength of Aggression. Black brings all you have with it, drives back those who would harm Xanadu and our family." She slips her hands under his hair and behind his neck, rubbing on the last of the color.
"Last is purple, the sacred color, the color of mysteries, the stain of sorcery. Purple, to show them terror neither starts nor ends with your knives." Hannah smooths her fingers from his hairline, over the red, his eyes, and down to cover what little bare skin is left on his face. "I would draw a symbol of protection on your back, if you'll allow it."
"Yes," Edan says, looking at himself to see what he can of what's been done. "And then I will seal it with Sorcery. If I catch fire, I don't want this ruined."
Hannah gives him a funny look, and shakes her head. She walks behind him and slaps him on the back. "Hold still," she demands. "It isn't meant to be permanent, and the messages aren't for you. If you burst into flame, and it burns off, then you did nothing but become the embodiment, and you won't need the paint - you'll still have the words." Hannah, again with purple, puts a dot in the center of his spine. She draws fletched arrows pointing out to the directions from the dot, draws a circle to encompass the arrows and the dot, and then half circles, both above and below. She whispers a prayer behind him.
Edan starts to nod in understanding, but stays perfectly still instead.
Coming around to face him again, she rubs the remaining purple powder into her hands, dampens them slightly, and holds them out, downward, before him. "Anyway, since I've used water instead of fat to mix this, it's likely to stain. You will likely need sorcery to get it off. Now, open your hands against mine. We will call our Gods to hear us."
She waits until Edan has recentered and is ready. "Oh Merciful One, your child Edan is prepared to battle for the things you have taught him are right. Please hear his prayers. Oh Creator, Grandfather of the Earth, your child Enana is prepared to battle for the things you have taught me and to save lives so after the destruction there will be creation. Please hear my prayer." She takes her hands from Edan's and crosses her arms to grip her biceps. She will have purple handprints on her arms, but that is the point. She tilts her chin at him to indicate he should do the same. Hannah quietly begins praying, looking up at the sky.
Edan nods at the appropriate places and follows suit, but says no words. Now was not the time to explain the crisis of faith Clarissa had brought in him. And ultimately, it didn't matter. He would need all the help he could get.
So when Edan turns his head to the sky, it is a different creature that comes to his thoughts. Unicorn, he thinks, your great-grandson is here in your Grove, about to defend against the foes of Xanadu. My liege is compromised, and I have met me my match against these Moonriders of Ghenesh. Bless our efforts this day, or at least remember us, that we stood to defend Order when no one else could.
"This is a sacred place." Hannah glances at the spring, and back at Edan. She lightly grips his shoulders. "When your path opens before you and you smolder with unbreakable will, may time not touch your heart; may no flood carry you from your quest; may home remain your center." And with that she lets go and grins.
"I saved Green for the little tiger. It is for Endurance." She dots the fussy baby's forehead, then draws the morning star where his collarbones meet. He doesn't seem to appreciate this, so she picks him up. "All I ask today is that you fight to live long enough for me to name you," she whispers to the child, not trying to hide it from Edan. "Now give Baba your blessings before he goes to fight." She offers the hungry baby to his father.
Edan takes the baby, and tries a little bouncing to calm him down; he looks inexperienced. Some tickling under the cougar's arms works better. "I will be back," he says, "and then we will teach you absolutely everything. And then you'll be protecting us."
Hannah digs a little rock of chalk out of the bottom of her bag and approaches the horse. "Well, Prince of Horses, Carries Fire, Beautiful One... please accept some medicine from me, or if you choose not to, do me the courtesy of a warning nip instead of a hard bite." Hannah speaks to the horse for a few moments, moving calmly toward him from the side where he can see her. She tells him about how the horses were the best thing the invaders brought among the people, how Omaha and Ponca both saw the sacred in them. Once they have talked and he's gotten used to her friendly hands on him, she draws big white circles around his eyes and a white star on his nose, just like the one on Misae's. Then she uses the remaining green powder, with a little spit, to gently color around Aramsham's eyes so they echo the shape of Edan's own. She sings to him the whole time, in Omahain.
When she comes back over to Edan she's still humming her tune. Her mouth quirks. "I'm sure you'll be disappointed to not be around the first time he needs new swaddling."
"It's just as well. I hear it takes hours to clean up the first few times, anyway," Edan says. "Something about hair. It almost makes the unicorn story believable." He touches two fingers against the baby's forehead, where the Third Eye would manifest, before he hands him back over.
Hannah takes the child and gives Edan a look that says she doesn't believe him. "You're missing out, nothing even stinks the first few times."
"Am I ready? It feels ready, somehow."
"You're asking me? You tell me if you're ready. If you think not we can soak your pants in grandmother's spring here for luck." Now she's definitely teasing.
"Not to worry," Edan says. "I can wet my pants on my own." He smiles a little and holds her gaze. "I can't promise to be careful. I can promise to give it my all. You'll know when and if you need to run. I will find you."
"Or I will find you," she smiles back, "and I won't ask for promises. You will do what you must. I know this." She kisses him well and good, and pulls away with a sigh. "Go... hurt them but good so we don't have to do this for the next five years. I need to trump Gerard back."
She steps out of range of his reach.
With a quirky little smile, Edan gets back into the saddle, gives Hannah a nod of farewell, and turns Aramsham back towards Martin and the others.
Last modified: 27 September 2018